Since the first season’s release in 2011, FX Network’s “American Horror Story” has been shocking and exciting viewers across the nation. It’s no holds-barred storytelling, graphic violence and occult themes have kept it at the forefront of American television popular culture.

“Murder House” was jolting, edgy. It was definitely an outlier on the broadcasting scene. The second season began the trend of an all-star cast with names such as Adam Levine, Cuba Gooding Jr., Stevie Nicks and Lady Gaga to name a few.

The show has always been defined by defying expectations whether it be plot, cast or subject matter. The newest season, “Apocalypse,” perhaps does it best beginning the first episode with a casual, “all life as we know it”- ending nuclear detonation. This isn’t much of a spoiler as it occurs in the first 10 minutes of the first episode, and the name of the season is, after all, “Apocalypse.”

This places the viewers in a predicament because we are left not to figure out how to stop the end of the world, but rather who or what caused it. It’s quite obvious that it was not the two first guesses, China and Russia, as they have both been attacked as well. Whatever did it is most likely supernatural.

This season, perhaps better than any other, ties the show together. Characters from “Coven” as well as “Murder House” are re-introduced and play a key role in the plot.

There’s a much greater sense of danger and urgency considering the world ended, and all souls could soon be damned to Hell in this season than in possibly any other. That being said, there is still enough time for all of the artistic scene direction you expect from the show including a four-minute performance by Stevie Nicks in an underground warlock bunker.

So far, this has been an extremely enjoyable season keeping me excited for next week. I’m glad America has united shamelessly under the scripted sacrament that is “American Horror Story;” an opportunity for us all to exhibit our macabre desires and be entertained by references to infamous serial killers in a socially acceptable way.

Story by Patrick Barry. Gif courtesy of Gfycat.